"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary. These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate."- Che Guevara

Friday, December 14, 2007

Fred has been the most promising guy to me, not necessarily to win, but to support most of the issues I support and use some of what we used to call "common sense" in running things and negotiating with our enemies. Within and without.

But I'd kinda written him off early. But after yesterday, I'm gonna say "Not So Fast".

Show of hands -- who thinks Giuliani or Huckabee will win the nomination?

"They like this war. They want this war to continue." ... "We thought that they shared the view of so many people in our country that we needed a new direction in Iraq." ... "But the Republicans have made it very clear that this is not just George Bush's war. This is the war of the Republicans in Congress."

And it doesn't take long googling for news outlets that that indeed is what she said. That Republicans like the war and want it to continue.

I do not for one minute believe that George W. Bush or any other Republican "likes" this war or wants it to continue. They do want to finish it. But finishing it and ending it are not the same thing.

But then in today's continuing pattern of getting your PR soundbytes out (Clinton Campaign: The Republicans are going to rake our poor friend Obama over the coals for his former drug use. Ooops, did we say that? Well we aren't saying it, but they will. - snicker-) she later "takes it back":

Well, when I said like, I used a poor choice of words. The fact is: They support this war. They support the president's execution of it, even though any objective observer of it would say that a war that we've been in much longer -- more than a year longer -- than we were in World War II, going in on a false pretense without a strategy for success, without a reason to stay, against the wishes of the American people does not deserve the support of the Congress of the United States.

It's a war America is in, Nancy, and one you voted for. Adults, once they start something even if they find out later some of their premises were wrong -- finish what they start. You got your PR soundbyte in, then you try to have it both ways by "apologizing" -- just like Shaheen & Huckabee.

What was the strategy for success in WWII, anyway? Whatever it was, if there was one, it sure wasn't to minimize every success we had and amplify any setback or any wrongdoing by a handful of our troops. Which has been the political strategy of the Democrats ever since we crossed the Kuwaiti border. Which I believe has a lot to do with why this war has gone on for longer than WWII.

Pelosi, et al have given aid and comfort to the enemy practically since the war began. You know what we used to call that? You know what the peanalty used to be?

And what's all this stuff about no change in strategy? Remember the Surge that the Democrats were so against and were so sure it wouldn't work that they declared it failed before it even started? (Probably because they were afraid it might succeed?) After the big "change in direction" (which, incidentally is not synonymous with "withdrawal", Nancy) was allegedly asked for, America got one in just a few months. And a few months after the change took place, things in Iraq started getting much much better. Which is why you're playing a misdirection by screeching the same tired charges over and over and over and over and over trying to nurture the anti-war "Availability Cascade".

Without a reason to stay? Without a reason to stay? We stormed somebody's house to take out an abusive parent and left it pretty messed up. In the mean time, some of our worst enemies came in to make it as bad as they possibly could for us. If we leave before we should, we do a great disservice to the Iraqi people. If we leave before we should, we hand a PR victory to Al Queda. Don't give me this "no reason to stay" schtick.

I see through you. You're trying to convince us what you say is true by repeating it and having the press repeat it for you.

We did not go to war against the wishes of the American people, and while naturally the American people wish we could leave and have our troops home ASAP, we know that it isn't a good idea.

Monday, December 10, 2007

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink02. Swam with wild dolphins03. Climbed a mountain04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive05. Been inside the Great Pyramid06. Held a tarantula07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone08. Said “I love you” and meant it09. Hugged a tree10. Bungee jumped (don't plan on it, either)11. Visited Paris

12. Watched a lightning storm.13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise14. Seen the Northern Lights (I'd love to!)15. Gone to a huge sports game16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables18. Touched an iceberg (be cool to see one first hand. Not in the same way the Titanic did, but...)19. Slept under the stars20. Changed a baby’s diaper21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon22. Watched a meteor shower23. Gotten drunk on champagne24. Given more than you can afford to charity25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment27. Had a food fight28. Bet on a winning horse29. Asked out a stranger30. Had a snowball fight31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can32. Held a lamb33. Seen a total eclipse34. Ridden a roller coaster35. Hit a home run36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking(if it still counts when you're drunk)37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (well... kind of ... for a lot of the day)38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment39. Had two hard drives for your computer40. Visited all 50 states41. Taken care of someone who was drunk42. Had amazing friends43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country ( I have, however danced with the two guitarists from an all-girl punk-rock band. Once again, there was alcohol inovled. But that's another story.)44. Watched whales45. Stolen a sign46. Backpacked in Europe47. Taken a road-trip48. Gone rock climbing49. Midnight walk on the beach50. Gone sky diving51. Visited Ireland52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them54. Visited Japan55. Milked a cow56. Alphabetized your CDs57. Pretended to be a superhero58. Sung karaoke59. Lounged around in bed all day60. Played touch football61. Gone scuba diving62. Kissed in the rain63. Played in the mud (not a big fan of getting muddy)64. Played in the rain65. Gone to a drive-in theater66. Visited the Great Wall of China67. Started a business68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken69. Toured ancient sites70. Taken a martial arts class71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight72. Gotten married73. Been in a movie74. Crashed a party75. Gotten divorced76. Gone without food for 5 days77. Made cookies from scratch78. Won first prize in a costume contest79. Ridden a gondola in Venice80. Gotten a tattoo81. Rafted the Snake River82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”83. Gotten flowers for no reason84. Performed on stage85. Been to Las Vegas (through it but not to it)86. Recorded music(not professionally)87. Eaten shark88. Kissed on the first date89. Gone to Thailand90. Bought a house91. Been in a combat zone92. Buried one/both of your parents93. Been on a cruise ship94. Spoken more than one language fluently95. Performed in Rocky Horror96. Raised children97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour98. Passed out cold99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking103. Had plastic surgery104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived105. Wrote articles for a large publication106. Lost over 100 pounds107. Held someone while they were having a flashback108. Piloted an airplane109. Touched a stingray110. Broken someone’s heart111. Helped an animal give birth (was up to my elbows in the back of a cow trying to situate a calf in the right position to come out at 2:00 am, following a vet's instructions)112. Won money on a T.V. game show113. Broken a bone114. Gone on an African photo safari115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol(every single one, baby!)117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild118. Ridden a horse119. Had major surgery120. Had a snake as a pet121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states124. Visited all 7 continents125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (I'd love to do this, too)126. Eaten kangaroo meat127. Eaten sushi128. Had your picture in the newspaper129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about130. Gone back to school131. Parasailed132. Touched a cockroach133. Eaten fried green tomatoes134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (I'm going to guess Jimmy Buffett doesn't count)136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating137. Skipped all your school reunions138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language139. Been elected to public office140. Written your own computer language141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (for brief moments in the mountains, yes. but in genral, I take life as it comes rather than dream big)142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care143. Built your own PC from parts144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you145. Had a booth at a street fair146. Dyed your hair147. Been a DJ148. Shaved your head149. Caused a car accident150. Saved someone’s life

His "Random Thoughts" posts aren't his normal well-developed dissertations. But they sure are fun. And often pointed.

Now that the British television documentary, "The Great Global Warming Swindle" is available on DVD, will those schools that forced their students to watch Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth" also show them the other side? Ask them.